Lost nuclear device sparks police hunt in Brampton

Police are hunting for a nuclear gauge device that went missing in Brampton early Wednesday.

The portable gauge containing dangerous radioactive material was last seen in a pickup truck in the Dixon Road and Carlingview Drive area between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The company was transporting the nuclear device – used to ensure the proper density and moisture content of materials – to various construction companies when he realized it wasn’t in the back of his truck, Toronto police spokesperson Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook told CP24 on Friday afternoon.

The gauge is held within a bright yellow container.

The company retraced its stops between Toronto and Brampton, but was unsuccessful in locating it, Douglas-Cook added.

The Nuclear Safety Commission has been notified.

Police say radiation is a concern.

“The nuclear gauge could be harmful with prolonged exposure,” a news release said.

Anyone with information about the device’s whereabouts is asked to call police at 416-808-2300 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477.

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A nuclear gauge went missing inside a radioactive container from a pickup truck in Brampton early Wednesday. (Toronto Police Services)